Three-man US-Russian crew returns to Earth from ISS
Almaty, Kazakhstan—An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts touched down safely on the Kazakhstan steppe on Thursday, October 22, 2020, completing a 196-day mission that began with the first launch under lockdown conditions. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner landed around 150 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of the Kazakh […] The post Three-man US-Russian crew returns to Earth from ISS appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Two Russians, American reach space station
Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut docked with the International Space Station on Friday after blasting off from Baikonur amid raging tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine. Earlier Friday Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft. The crew docked at the ISS three hours later, the Russian space agency said. At the orbiting station the trio will join three Russians, two Americans, a Japanese astronaut and a representative of the European Space Agency. The liftoff took place after Russia's first lunar mission in nearly 50 years failed last month. The ISS is a rare venue for cooperation between the United States and Russia, whose ties broke down after Moscow unleashed its offensive in Ukraine last year. Kononenko alluded to the tensions during a pre-flight press conference on Thursday, saying that "unlike on earth" cosmonauts and astronauts took care of each other in space. "We hear each other there, and we understand each other, and we are very sensitive to our relationships," he said. "We always take care of each other." 'ISS legacy' O'Hara praised the station's "legacy" and said it had been bringing the countries together. "I'm excited to get on board and see the crewmates who are waiting for us," she added. Kononenko, 59, and Chub, 39, were scheduled to spend a year on the ISS, while O'Hara, 40, was to spend six months aboard. It was the first mission to space for both O'Hara and Chub. Chub said that travelling to space was his "childhood dream" and he had dedicated "all his life" to reaching that goal. Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to strengthen space cooperation with China after ties with the West broke down following the start of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine last year. On Wednesday, Putin hosted the reclusive leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, at Russia's new Vostochny spaceport in the Far East, and the two discussed the possibility of sending a North Korean into space. Last month Russia's Luna-25 module crashed on the Moon's surface after an incident during pre-landing manoeuvres, in a huge embarrassment for Moscow. The Luna-25 mission was meant to mark Russia's return to independent Moon exploration in the face of financial troubles and corruption scandals, and its growing isolation from the West. Moscow last landed a probe on the Moon in 1976, before shifting away from lunar exploration in favour of missions to Venus and building the Mir space station. The post Two Russians, American reach space station appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NASA and SpaceX re-attempt launch of four crew to ISS
NASA and SpaceX will try again on Saturday to send the next crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station. Dubbed Crew-7, the mission will be commanded by American Jasmin Moghbeli and includes Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, Satoshi Furukawa of Japan, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia. Liftoff is planned for 3:27 am (0727 GMT) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a backup opportunity on Sunday. The launch was pushed back to Saturday to give engineers an extra day to review a component of the Crew Dragon capsule's environmental control and life support system, NASA said in a blog post. It will be the first space mission for both Moghbeli and Borisov. "This is something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember," said Moghbeli, a Naval test pilot, during a media call last month. "One of the things I'm most excited about is looking back at our beautiful planet," added the 40-year-old of Iranian heritage. "Everyone who I've talked to who has flown already has said that was a life-changing perspective -- and also floating around in space, it seems really fun." Crew-7 is set to be the seventh routine mission to the orbital platform for Elon Musk's SpaceX, with the first coming in 2020. NASA pays SpaceX for the taxi service as part of a commercial crew program that it put in place to reduce dependency on Russian rockets for astronaut transport after the space shuttle program ended in 2011. Boeing is the other contracted private partner, but its program remains mired in delays and technical difficulties. It has not yet flown any crew. Borisov will be the third Russian to fly on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, fixed atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Space remains a rare area of cooperation between the United States and Russia despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, with Americans also continuing to fly aboard Russian Soyuz rockets that launch from Kazakhstan. The crew will spend six months aboard the ISS, where they will carry out science experiments including collecting samples during a spacewalk to determine whether the station releases microorganisms through its life support system vents. The goal is to understand if microorganisms can survive and reproduce in space. Another experiment will aim to assess the physiological differences between sleep on Earth and in space. "I'm looking forward to coping with all the tasks. This is a very interesting profession: you are preparing for something that you haven't tried yet, and you really want to do it well," said Borisov. Crew-7 will join the seven people already aboard the ISS, before members of Crew-6 leave for Earth a few days later. The first segment of the ISS was launched in 1998, and it has been continuously inhabited by an international crew since 2001. Its operations are set to continue until at least 2030, after which it will be decommissioned and crash into the ocean. Several private companies are working on commercial space stations to replace it. The post NASA and SpaceX re-attempt launch of four crew to ISS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Damaged Russian Soyuz capsule lands back on Earth from space station
The Russian Soyuz MS-22 capsule completes the almost two-hour return from the International Space Station without a crew, landing in the Kazakh steppe, a few hundred kilometers from the Baikonur cosmodrome.....»»
Second Israeli-linked ship hijacked off Yemen coast
Tel Aviv [Israel], November 27 (ANI/TPS): An Israeli-linked ship was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, the vessel's management said on Sunday. "Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew members onboard," Zodiac said in a statement. "The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carryin.....»»
Second Israeli-linked ship hijacked off Yemen coast
Tel Aviv [Israel], November 27 (ANI/TPS): An Israeli-linked ship was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, the vessel's management said on Sunday. "Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew members onboard," Zodiac said in a statement. "The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carryin.....»»
China to send youngest-ever crew to space station
Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space program, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit. The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months. The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 a.m. (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest. "It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement. The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station. "Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday. "The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added. Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages. The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched. "According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space program, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing. It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added. 'Space dream' Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space program in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia. In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success". That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilian -- Beihang University professor Gui Haichao -- into orbit. That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday. Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface. Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realized as scheduled". Lunar plans The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit. That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017. Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first. Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the Moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth with the first lunar samples in four decades. The final module of the T-shaped Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- successfully docked with the core structure last year. The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system". The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometers (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years. China will send its youngest-ever crew of astronauts to the Tiangong space station this week, officials said Wednesday, as Beijing pursues plans for a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade. Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space program, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit. The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months. The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 am (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest. "It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement. The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station. "Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday. "The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added. Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages. The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched. "According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space program, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing. It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added. 'Space dream' Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space program in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia. In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success". That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilian -- Beihang University professor Gui Haichao -- into orbit. That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday. Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface. Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realized as scheduled". Lunar plans The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit. That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017. Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first. Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the Moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth the first lunar samples in four decades. The final module of the T-shaped Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- successfully docked with the core structure last year. The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system". The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometers (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years. The post China to send youngest-ever crew to space station appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India holds trial run for manned orbital mission
India on Saturday successfully launched the first unmanned trial run of its upcoming crewed orbital mission, in the latest milestone for its spacefaring ambitions. The Gaganyaan (“Skycraft”) mission is slated to send three astronauts into Earth’s orbit in 2025, an important yardstick of the Indian Space Research Organization’s technical capabilities. Saturday’s rocket tested the emergency escape system of its crew module, which separated from the thruster and made a soft sea landing about 10 minutes after the launch. “I am very happy to announce the successful accomplishment of the mission,” ISRO chief S. Somanath said afterwards. The lift-off was postponed for two hours after bad weather and a glitch in the engine. ISRO will conduct a series of 20 major tests, including carrying a robot to outer space, before the final manned mission takes place in 2025. Gaganyaan is the first mission of its kind for India and comes with an estimated price tag of $1.08 billion, according to ISRO. India plans to send astronauts beyond the reaches of Earth’s atmosphere for three days before they are brought safely back with a soft landing in Indian territorial waters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced plans to send a man to the Moon by 2040 following a year of triumphs for India’s space program. In August, India became the fourth nation to land an unmanned craft on the Moon after Russia, the United States and China. The following month, India launched a probe to observe the outermost layers of the Sun from solar orbit. India’s space program has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008, and it has steadily matched the achievements of established spacefaring powers at a fraction of their cost. India also plans a joint mission with Japan to send another probe to the Moon by 2025 and an orbital mission to Venus within the next two years. Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts’ wages. The post India holds trial run for manned orbital mission appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Germany and Israel sign ‘historic’ missile shield deal
Germany on Thursday signed a deal to acquire the Israeli-made Arrow 3 hypersonic missile system that will become a key part of Europe's defence against air attack. The signing of the deal was a "historic day" for both countries, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at a press conference alongside his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. Worth around $3.5 billion (3.3 billion euros), the sale is the biggest ever deal for Israel's military industry. The Arrow 3 system would make "German air defense ready for the future", Pistorius said. Germany has led a push to bolster NATO's air defenses in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, urging allies to buy deterrence systems together. "We can see with the daily Russian attacks on Ukraine how important anti-air defense is," Pistorius said. The signing of the deal was a "moving event for every Jew", looking back at the events of the Holocaust, Gallant said. "Only 80 years since the end of the Second World War yet Israel and Germany join hands today in building a safer future," he said. Sky shield The long-range Arrow 3 system, designed to shoot down missiles above the Earth's atmosphere, is powerful enough to offer protective cover for neighboring European Union states. The system was developed and produced by Israel and the United States and the sale had to be approved by Washington before it could be finalized. The system was first deployed at an Israeli air force base in 2017 and has been used to protect Israel against attacks from Iran and Syria. Arrow 3 is a "mobile system" that can be deployed depending on the threats faced, according to manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries. The money for the deal comes from a landmark 100-billion-euro fund unveiled by Chancellor Olaf Scholz to bolster the country's defenses in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. More than a dozen European countries have so far signed up to Germany's common air defense project, the European Sky Shield Initiative. The Sky Shield project would involve joint procurement for short-, medium- and long-range systems, including the German-made Iris-T, the American Patriot system and Arrow 3. Some of Germany's neighbors have however so far declined to sign up to the pact, including France and Poland. Officials in Paris have argued instead for an air defense system using European equipment. Berlin has said it expects the Arrow 3 system to be delivered in the final quarter of 2025. The post Germany and Israel sign ‘historic’ missile shield deal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
(CARRYALL) THE LOOK
From tiny bags you could have passed for a wallet, tastes have moved on to XXL bags — really scaled-up bags that carry everything but the kitchen sink. A glimpse of this bag trend was seen in the latest collection unveiled by Furla at its Greenbelt 5 store recently. Young ladies in either skintight or skin-baring outfits tried on the variety of styles displayed at the store. With a nod to minimalism and Italian architecture of the ‘50s, the new Furla Fall-Winter 2023 collection themed “Italian Garden” — reinvented its classics with fresh aesthetic — all in Italian leather only, of course! Russian supermodel Irina Shayk is the face of the collection. She carries the Furla Giove bag, which is a big tote that comes with a color-contrasting mini bag, so it’s like two bags in one. Ideal for travel, it comes in four sizes to personalize with long, adjustable and interchangeable handles. [caption id="attachment_187043" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Vina Guerrero-Gandia and Rhea Bue-Ong.[/caption] The Metropolis Remix collection now comes in a bow silhouette. Pops of pink and purple are seen throughout the collections. The Furla Arch with turn-lock closure also makes the bags distinctive. The Furla Flow line stands out for its roomy tote bags and practical saddle bags in smooth calfskin leather, with crocodile print leather in new silhouettes. This carryall tote is lightweight for its size. Furla reinterprets an icon from its ‘90s archive: Unica Furla, a sculptural-shaped maxi or medium shoulder bag — it is the classic bucket bag reimagined with a sleek shape and gradient colors. [caption id="attachment_187044" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Russian supermodel Irina Shayk is the face of the collection. She carries the Furla Giove bag, which is a big tote that comes with a color-contrasting mini bag.[/caption] This year, the iconic Furla 1927 returns in a brand new crossbody bag in soft quilted Nappa leather with a metal chain strap, available in three sizes. The Furla Opportunity, available in four sizes, comes in playful fabrics and additional lifestyle touches like extra strap and bag scarf. It is said to be “the ultimate shopping bag of the Furla universe.” Furla, of course, has its collections of smaller bags for other occasions, now in fresh colors like floral prints and yellows. The sleek camera bags come in the season’s favorite shade of olive, as well as dove grey. Whether maxi or mini, carry the look of the season with a fresh infusion of accessories. The post (CARRYALL) THE LOOK appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow
US President Joe Biden hailed closer ties with Vietnam on Sunday as the two countries struck a deal to deepen cooperation, including on semiconductors, but said he was not aiming to contain China. The "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Hanoi is part of Washington's push to bolster its network of allies around Asia and the Pacific in the face of Beijing's rising influence. Biden accused Beijing of seeking to bend the international order to its will. "One of the things that is going on now is China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues," Biden said. Sometimes to Beijing's chagrin, Washington has invested heavily in building alliances as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, including the Quad security dialogue with India, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia. Biden said he wanted establish clear ground rules for relations. "I don't want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about," he said. Biden flew in to Hanoi straight from a G20 summit that failed to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels and highlighted deep divisions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US president said he had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 -- a meeting the White House had not announced -- and discussed "stability". Semiconductor deal Global supply chain shocks and fears about US reliance on China for strategic resources have further driven the push to boost ties with the likes of Vietnam. The new partnership includes an agreement on semiconductors, with the United States committing to help Vietnam develop its capabilities and expand production. There is also a section on rare earth minerals, which used in the manufacture of high-tech devices such as smartphones and electric car batteries. Vietnam has the world's second-largest deposits of rare earths after China and US officials say it has a key role to play as it looks to diversify and strengthen its supply chains. Biden moved last month to restrict US investment in Chinese technology in sensitive areas including semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. "This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation," Biden said as he met Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party and the country's paramount leader. "Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time." The deal puts the United States on a par with China -- as well as Russia, India and South Korea -- at the top level of the Vietnamese hierarchy of diplomatic relations. Trong thanked Biden for his contribution to improving US-Vietnamese ties and said his country would work hard to implement the new agreement. Although it is careful to be seen as not taking sides between the United States and China, Vietnam shares US concerns about its neighbour's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. However, The New York Times reported just ahead of Biden's visit that Vietnam was secretly arranging to buy arms from Russia in contravention of US sanctions. The report cited a Vietnamese finance ministry document that laid out plans to fund arms purchases from the Kremlin through a joint oil and gas project in Siberia. AFP has contacted the Vietnamese government for comment. US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told reporters that Washington acknowledged Vietnam's decades-long military relationship with Russia. But he said there was "increasing discomfort on the part of the Vietnamese with that relationship", and the new partnership would help Hanoi "diversify away from those partnerships" by allowing it to source from the United States and its allies. Human rights Biden said he had raised human rights in his meeting with Trong and pledged to "continue our candid dialogue in that regard". Vietnam has a dire rights record. Government critics face intimidation, harassment and imprisonment after unfair trials, and there are reports of police torture to extract confessions, Human Rights Watch says. While Biden has often criticised China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners feared he may not raise the subject. On Monday Biden visit a Hanoi memorial to his friend John McCain, the former US senator shot down and held captive during the Vietnam War who in later years helped rebuild ties between the two countries. The post US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CLASSIC ROCK OPERA BALLET ‘RAMA, HARI’ RETURNS
Rama, Hari, the acclaimed Filipino rock opera ballet, returns to the stage this September, with performances at the Metropolitan Theater on 15 to 16 September and at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater on 22 to 23 September. The production holds the prestige of being the only collaboration that features the masterful works of five National Artists: Alice Reyes for direction and choreography, Ryan Cayabyab for music, Salvador Bernal for production Design, and Bienvenido Lumbera for lyrics and libretto with English translations by Rolando Tinio. Presented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in partnership with the Metropolitan Theater and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, with the generous support of Birch Tree Adult Boost, the production features artists from CCP’s Professional Artist Support Program and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines. Inspired by the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana, the ballet tells of the adventures of Rama, prince and incarnation of the god Vishnu, who comes down to earth to save the world from Ravana, the most powerful of demons, and in time falls in love with Sita, daughter of the king of Mithila, Janaka, and eventually marries her. The evil Ravana attempts to tear the two apart, only to find himself defeated. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, a new musical genre was born, referred to as OPM, or Original Pilipino Music. Rama, Hari has the distinction of being the first OPM music and dance theater masterpiece. Rama, Hari was last restaged in 2012 and won 14 Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards. It was intended to be restaged once more in 2020 but was canceled due to the pandemic lockdown. The 2023 cast features Arman Ferrer in the lead role of Rama, with Vien King alternating. They will perform alongside dancers Ronelson Yadao and Ejay Arisola. Karylle Tatlonghari, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez and Nica Tupas alternate in the role of Rama’s beloved wife Sita, with dance counterparts, Monica Gana and Katrene San Miguel. Rak of Aegis Star Poppert Bernadas takes on the role of the demon King Ravana, alternating with Los Angeles-based musical theater actor Matthew San Jose (making his Manila debut) and Jonel Mojica. Dancing the role are Richardson Yadao and Tim Cabrera. Theater icon Audie Gemora takes on the role of King Dasaratha. Also joining the cast are Katrine Sunga and Maron Rozelle Mabana in the dual role of King Dasaratha’s Third Wife, Kaikeyi, and the Golden Doe, while Miah Canton and Raflesia Bravo take on the dual role of Kaikeyi’s evil adviser Kooni and Ravana’s demon sister Soorpanakha. Paw Castillo and Jon Abella do double duty as Monkey Army General Hanuman, and Rama’s brother Lakshmana. Certain performances of Rama, Hari will have live music performed by The Orchestra of the Filipino Youth. The post CLASSIC ROCK OPERA BALLET ‘RAMA, HARI’ RETURNS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India becomes first nation to land spacecraft near Moon’s south pole
India on Wednesday became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon's south pole, a historic triumph for the world's most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space program. The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means "Mooncraft" in Sanskrit, touched down at 6:04 pm India time (1234 GMT) as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their colleagues. Its landing comes days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years since the previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi smiled broadly and waved an Indian flag on a live broadcast to announce the mission's success as a triumph that extended beyond his country's borders. "On this joyous occasion I would like to address the people of the world," said Modi from the sidelines of the BRICS diplomatic summit in South Africa. "India's successful moon mission is not just India's alone," he added. "This success belongs to all of humanity." The Chandrayaan-3 mission has captivated public attention since launching nearly six weeks ago in front of thousands of cheering spectators. Politicians staged Hindu prayer rituals to wish for the mission's success and schoolchildren followed the final moments of the landing from live broadcasts in classrooms. Chandrayaan-3 took much longer to reach the Moon than the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s, which arrived in a matter of days. India used rockets much less powerful than the ones the United States used back then, meaning the probe had to orbit the Earth several times to gain speed before embarking on its month-long journey. The lander, Vikram, which means "valor" in Sanskrit, detached from its propulsion module last week and has been sending images of the Moon's surface since entering lunar orbit on August 5. Now that Vikram has landed, a solar-powered rover will explore the surface and transmit data to Earth over its two-week lifespan. Ambitious program India is closing in on milestones set by global space powers such as the United States and Russia, conducting many of its missions at much lower price tags. The South Asian nation has a comparatively low-budget space program, but one that has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008. The latest mission has a cost of $74.6 million -- far lower than those of other countries, and a testament to India's frugal space engineering. Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts' wages. In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a craft into orbit around Mars and is slated to launch a three-day crewed mission into Earth's orbit by next year. Wednesday's landing had been eagerly awaited by the Indian Space Research Organisation after the frustrating failure of its previous mission at the last hurdle in 2019. Back then, mission control lost contact with the Chandrayaan-2 lunar module moments before its slated landing. 'Very, very important' Former ISRO chief K. Sivan told AFP that India's efforts to explore the relatively unmapped lunar south pole would make a "very, very important" contribution to scientific knowledge. Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved controlled landings on the Moon. Russia launched a lunar probe in August -- its first in nearly half a century. If successful, it would have beaten Chandrayaan-3 by a matter of days to become the first mission from any nation to make a controlled landing around the south pole. But Luna-25 crashed on Saturday after an unspecified incident as it prepared to descend. The post India becomes first nation to land spacecraft near Moon’s south pole appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia’s Luna-25 probe crashes on the Moon
Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years, the Luna-25 probe, has crashed on the Moon's surface after an unspecified incident during pre-landing maneuvers, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said Sunday. The crash comes almost a year and a half into Russia's Ukraine offensive that has seen Moscow isolated, with punishing sanctions that have affected its space industry. The failed mission comes as several companies and nations have entered a Moon race, and put a spotlight on the Russian space sector's troubles -- from corruption to lack of innovation and partnerships. Communication with Luna-25 was lost at 2:57 pm (1157 GMT) on Saturday, Roscosmos said. According to preliminary findings, the lander "has ceased to exist following a collision with the Moon's surface". "Measures taken on August 19 and 20 to locate the craft and make contact with it were unsuccessful," the space agency added. It said a ministerial investigation would be opened into the causes of the crash, without giving any indication of what technical problems might have occurred. With Luna-25, Moscow had hoped to build on the legacy of its Soviet-era Luna program, marking a return to independent Moon exploration in the face of financial troubles and corruption scandals at the program and growing isolation from the West. Valery Yegorov, a former researcher with Russia's space program who now lives in exile, said the crash would severely affect Roscosmos's future missions, with the next one not planned until 2028 or "even later". He suggested the probe's failure was linked to electronic problems, possibly resulting from Western sanctions on Moscow. The Luna-25 launch was postponed several times in the last five years, Yegorov said, "because of sanctions imposed on Russia in response to seizing Crimea". Research 'not a priority' "Science, fundamental research, some kind of humanistic ideas about space colonization, about revealing the secrets of the universe, are clearly not a priority right now," said Yegorov, who has denounced the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive. The 800-kilogram (1,760-pound) Luna-25 probe was to have made a soft landing on Monday on the Moon's south pole -- which would have been a historic first. Russia has not attempted to land on a celestial body since 1989, when the Soviet Union's Phobos 2 probe to explore the moons of Mars failed after an onboard computer malfunction. Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov had said the venture would be "risky", telling President Vladimir Putin in June that the probability of it succeeding was "around 70 percent". Luna-25 had been successfully placed in the Moon's orbit on Wednesday after being launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Russian Far East. Space race But on Saturday, Roscosmos said an "emergency" had been detected during a maneuver by the probe before its landing, preventing the operation from being carried out. Luna-25 had been expected to stay on the Moon for a year, collecting soil samples and looking for water -- an ingredient enthusiasts hope could be used to make rocket fuel for future launches and support potential colonies living there. Cameras installed on the lander had already taken shots of the lunar surface. Doubts had already emerged about Russia's long-running space cooperation with the West in the wake of its military campaign in Ukraine. While Russia has said it intends to use the International Space Station until 2028, the European Space Agency has dropped plans to co-operate with Moscow on Moon and Mars missions. Moscow last landed a probe -- Luna-24 -- on the Moon in 1976, before shifting away from lunar exploration in favor of missions to Venus and building the Mir space station. Landing Luna-25 successfully would have paved the way for further Russian missions to the Moon, at a time when India and China are launching their own probes and the United States returns to manned missions. India's competing space probe, Chandrayaan-3, entered the Moon's orbit earlier in August, also with the goal of landing on the south pole. Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved a controlled landing on the Moon. The post Russia’s Luna-25 probe crashes on the Moon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Emergency detected in pre-moon landing manoeuvre by Russia’s Luna-25 probe: Roscosmos
An "emergency" was detected on Saturday during a maneuver by Russia's Luna-25 probe prior to its Moon landing, Russian space agency Roscosmos said. "Thrust was released to transfer the probe onto the pre-landing orbit," Roscosmos said in a statement. "During the operation, an emergency situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the carrying out of the maneuver within the specified conditions." The lander, Russia's first such mission in almost 50 years, was successfully placed in the Moon's orbit on Wednesday after being launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the country's Far East. Roscosmos did not say if the incident would delay the landing, due to take place on Monday, north of the Boguslawsky crater on the lunar south pole. In June, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov told President Vladimir Putin that such missions were "risky", with an estimated success probability of around 70 percent. The probe is expected to stay on the Moon for a year, where it is tasked with collecting samples and analyzing soil. Cameras installed on the lander have already taken distant shots of the Earth and Moon from space. Russia is seeking to restart and rebuild the Soviet Union's pioneering space program as the future of its long-running space cooperation with the West looks in doubt amid the offensive in Ukraine. Russia said it would go ahead with its own lunar plans, despite the European Space Agency announcing it would not cooperate with Moscow on future missions over its actions in Ukraine. The post Emergency detected in pre-moon landing manoeuvre by Russia’s Luna-25 probe: Roscosmos appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
One giant step: Moon race hots up
Russia's plan to launch its lunar lander on Friday is the latest in an international push to return to the Moon that includes the world's top powers but also new players. Technology, science and politics are all essential factors in the Moon race. Here is the latest: China's great leap China is pursuing plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base there. The world's second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space program in a push to catch up with the United States and Russia. China was the third country to put humans in orbit in 2003 and Tiangong is the crown jewel of its space program, which has also landed rovers on Mars and the Moon. The unmanned Chang'e-4 rocket landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019, with another robot mission to the near side raising the Chinese flag there in 2020. That moonshot brought rock and soil samples back to Earth, the first time that has been done in more than four decades. NASA's Artemis NASA's Artemis 3 mission is set to return humans to the Moon in 2025 including its first woman and first non-white astronaut. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning a series of missions of increasing complexity to return to the Moon and build a sustained presence in order to develop and test technologies for an eventual journey to Mars. The first, Artemis 1, flew an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon in 2022. Artemis 2, planned for November 2024, will do the same with crew on board. NASA sees the Moon as a pit stop for missions to Mars and has done a deal with Finnish mobile firm Nokia to set up a 4G network there. However, NASA said this week that the Artemis 3 mission may not land humans on the Moon, depending on whether certain key elements, including the landing system developed by SpaceX, were ready. Elon Musk's firm won the contract for a landing system based on a version of its prototype Starship rocket, which remains far from ready. An orbital test flight of the uncrewed Starship ended in a dramatic explosion in April. Russia's Luna Russia's launch of Luna-25 on Friday will be its first to the Moon since 1976 and marks the beginning of Moscow's new lunar project. President Vladimir Putin is looking to strengthen space cooperation with China after ties with the West broke down following the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. New players Recent technological progress has reduced the cost of missions and opened the way for new players in the public and private sector to get involved. India's latest space mission Chandrayaan-3 entered the Moon's orbit in August ahead of the country's second attempted lunar landing later this month. But getting to the Moon is not an easy task. Israeli non-profit SpaceIL launched its Beresheet lunar lander in 2019, but it crashed. And in April this year Japan's ispace was the latest company to try, and fail, at the historic bid to put a private lunar lander on the Moon. Two other US companies, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, are set to try later in the year. The post One giant step: Moon race hots up appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stargazers’ meteor was Russian rocket
Stargazers thought that the dazzling display of light over south-eastern Australia’s night sky on Monday was a meteor. The country’s space agency said Tuesday the flashes of light were likely to have been remnants of a Russian rocket. It was a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, the Australian Space Agency said. The rocket had been launched earlier that evening from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia’s northwest, according to ASA. “This launch was notified and remnants of the rocket were planned to safely re-enter the atmosphere into the ocean off the south-east coast of Tasmania,” it added. WITH AFP The post Stargazers’ meteor was Russian rocket appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Masks no longer mandatory on AirAsia Phl flights
AirAsia Philippines said on Monday that wearing masks will no longer be required on all domestic flights. This is in response to the national government's decision to revoke the state of public health emergency under Presidential Proclamation 297, which was endorsed by Department Order 2023-017 of the Department of Transportation. Meanwhile, wearing masks for international flights shall remain subject to the existing health protocols in passengers’ country of destination. Only Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have lifted the mandatory use of masks as early as Q1 2023. Despite dropping the mask policy, AirAsia PH remains committed to adhering to the highest standards of safety on all its flights. Deep cleaning AirAsia PH Country Head for Communications and Public Affairs and spokesperson Steve Dailisan said deep cleaning and aircraft sanitation will still be in effect on every flight. This way, guests will have peace of mind and confidence as air travel returns to normalcy. Dailisan stressed that there is no room for complacency in the airline business. They want their guests to feel secure when they fly with AirAsia. Although it is no longer a policy, guests and crew may still opt to wear masks whenever they deem it necessary. However, the airline also wants to reiterate that its aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters, which filter and block 99.97 percent of airborne particles, including known bacteria and viruses. Removal of shoes In order to improve security, airport authorities have mandated that shoes be removed at the last x-ray screening in the airport. AirAsia PH is requesting that its guests be more patient about this matter. Dailisan also stressed that AirAsia will always support any activities or protocols that enhance safety and security among all industry stakeholders. This additional layer of security screening should be viewed as a deterrent to illegal activities and other threats, especially now that air travel is on the rebound. To entice more guests to revisit their travel bucket list, AirAsia PH is connecting everyone to more experiences with “FlyThru.” From 24 July to 30 September 2023, guests can book a P257 one-way base fare for domestic and international flights and P2,293 for other international destinations flying through Kuala Lumpur, such as Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, for travels from 24 July to 30 September 2023. AirAsia PH is also reminding its guests to allot an allowance of at least three hours for domestic travel and four hours for international travel. The airline is also informing its guests that NAIA Terminal 2 is AirAsia’s new domestic terminal while maintaining NAIA Terminal 3 for international flights. Meanwhile, all travel advisories and other information regarding flight schedules are regularly updated and posted via the AirAsia travel safety website. The post Masks no longer mandatory on AirAsia Phl flights appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lessons drawn from Russia’s experience
While scrolling through news videos of the recent events in Russia, I chanced upon a reel showing Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner Group, recruiting Russian prisoners to be part of the armed forces in its war against Ukraine. In the said clip, he was addressing the prisoners that there’s a likely chance that they will not survive their tour of duty, but if they do in six months, they are promised absolute liberty from imprisonment. Apparently, Russia’s military has relied heavily on the Wagner recruits in its ongoing war effort in Ukraine, including in battlefronts considered to be the fiercest and with the heaviest casualties. As it turns out, because of Wagner Group’s important role in the ongoing war with Ukraine, and its usefulness in spreading and masking Putin’s political and military interests in Syria and Mali, and other resource-rich countries, its leader, Progzhin, was able to build a strong influence from Putin and the whole of Russia’s power structure. This resulting disturbance of the power balance within Putin’s sphere of influence apparently led to the event of 23 June 2023 when the Wagner Group’s forces seized a government military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, and were able to advance to within 200 kilometers (120 miles) of Moscow, downing multiple Russian aircraft, including 13 Russian air force pilots, along the way. Our leaders could take a deeper curiosity and understanding of the current Russian experience and may impart some valuable lessons that can be drawn from our local concerns. As an example, our government must give serious consideration to its constitutional mandate to dismantle all private armies and ensure deterrence to the formation of such groups. The Pamplona massacre revealed to us the current policy weakness in deterring the formation of private army groups. The brazenness in the killing of Governor Roel Degamo and several civilians in Pamplona, Negros Oriental showed us how private armies can create havoc to national security and public order. Those who executed the Pamplona massacre aren’t simply prisoners from the national penitentiary or security guards of private security agencies. They are a group of trained former members of the Philippine military with combat experience motivated by financial returns. Our national defense and military leadership should give more attention and focus on preventing the formation of such private military groups. Whatever the motivation in the events leading to the Pamplona massacre, the government must ensure that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice to prove to the public that the rule of law still prevails in the country. The Putin experience also shows us that no political leadership will survive if it resorts to repression of freedom of speech and expression and the elimination of the political opposition. Putin’s expansionist ambition and his willingness to disregard the rule of law, expanded his debt to his leaders, with followers who carry weapons. Our government must ensure an end to politically motivated violence. Politicians should not be allowed to kill each other or eliminate those who voice opposition to their leadership. Indeed, Filipino political values have always been aligned with the West. This is why we can tolerate a government that lacks transparency or even accountability, but not one that will curtail freedom of speech and expression, and press freedom, and undermine the rule of law. The post Lessons drawn from Russia’s experience appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MIAA: Lightning red alerts expected
The Manila International Airport Authority is requesting the cooperation and understanding of the flying public as more lightning alerts are anticipated as a result of unfavorable weather conditions and lightning strikes during the rainy season. It also highlighted the need to respond to lightning alarms at all Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals, with safety as its top priority. The MIAA Airport Ground Operations and Safety Division issues a Lightning Red Alert when considered required in compliance with safety procedures and all flight and ground operations at NAIA are temporarily suspended in response to this alert until it is dropped to a Lightning Yellow Alert, which denotes the safe restart of flight and ground operations. As the airport and its stakeholders handle the elevated levels of departure and arrival activities, the effects of the Red Lightning Alerts may be felt even after they have been lifted. In order to achieve a speedy recovery and return to normalcy of operations, the MIAA works closely with the airlines, ground handlers, air traffic services, and other stakeholders. MIAA said that flight arrivals and departures on 27 June experienced severe delays as a result of the Red Lightning Alert being hoisted for more than two hours. Lightning Red Alerts are quickly sent to all airport stakeholders through radio, and passengers are informed by announcements in the terminal and on board the aircraft. Additionally, the official Ninoy Aquino International Airport Facebook page promptly posts lightning advisories. The AGOSD also coordinates with Earth Networks, a pioneering company in total lightning detection, in implementing a lightning early warning system. As a result, the real-time data provided by Earth Networks plays a crucial role in assisting MIAA in effectively curbing the severity of lightning strikes on airport operations. The MIAA guarantees the public that the safety of airport ground staff, passengers and flight crew is their first priority and seeks to uphold the best standards in flight safety. The post MIAA: Lightning red alerts expected appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mercenary attitude
Easily the most head-spinning item of international news the past week was the thwarted armed rebellion by Russia-based mercenaries against Russian leader Vladimir Putin. At this writing, we don’t know how the Russian domestic security crisis will eventually pan out. But the unexpected 24-hour crisis — triggered after mercenary tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group fighters seized critical facilities in Southern Russia before pushing on to Moscow but then abruptly standing down — grievously wounded Mr. Putin politically and put into question his more than 20 years in power. Significant, too is the fact the rebellion nakedly dramatized the return of mercenary armies in modern warfare and the political risks associated with its return. A case of what’s old is new again. The mercenary — simply understood nowadays as an armed civilian paid to conduct military operations in a foreign conflict zone — is not a new thing. Soldiers of fortune throughout history are as old as war itself, earning the colloquial sobriquet “second oldest profession” after prostitution. Only later were mercenaries stigmatized, tabooed, and outlawed when States, wanting a monopoly on the use of force, began to invest in standing national armies. Mercenaries, however, didn’t become extinct but went underground. But after 150 years underground, the private forces were regurgitated in just a few decades of the 20th and 21st centuries and are now growing at an alarming rate in all the domains of war — land, sea, air, and cyber. In fact, as war studies professor Sean McFate says, “In less than 20 years, the private force has proliferated among every (war) domain except space, but that too may change.” It is also big business. “No one truly knows how many billions of dollars slosh around this illicit market. All we know is that business is booming. Recent years have seen major mercenary activity in Yemen, Nigeria, Ukraine, Syria, and Iraq. Many of these for-profit warriors outclass local militaries, and a few can even stand up to America’s most elite forces,” says McFate. The modern mercenaries also frown on their old moniker. Private sector fighters and their employers instead sport euphemistic labels like private military contractors, private security companies, private military companies, private security/military companies, private military firms, military service providers, operational contractors, and contingency contractors. The proliferation of this new warrior class only proves, says McFate, the commodification of modern armed conflict. But other than the marketization of war, mercenaries also informally act as a proxy force fighting on behalf of the geopolitical agendas of the world’s great powers that refuse to let their own troops bleed in unconventional war zones. In fact, the Wagner Group — named after the German composer Richard Wagner — had for years followed “Mr. Putin’s shadowy geopolitical bidding in nations abroad and suffered profound losses on the battlefield in Ukraine before turning its sights on Russia itself.” Filipinos, meanwhile, aren’t strangers to mercenary lucre either. McFate, who once worked in the industry, says, “I worked alongside ex–special forces troops from places like the Philippines, Colombia, and South Africa. We did the same missions, but they got developing world wages and I did not. Mercenaries are just like T-shirts — they are cheaper in developing countries. Call it the globalization of private force.” In my personal knowledge, too, scores of former members of the elite Presidential Security Group or PSG took jobs as “embarked security” on international ships plying pirate waters in the Gulf of Aden, Strait of Malacca, and the Gulf of Guinea. As expected, the former PSG guys were reticent about their “privateer” contracts with London-based private security firms. But McFate explains: “Here’s how it works. Armed contractors sit on ‘arsenal ships’ in pirate waters and chopper to a client freighter or tanker when called. Once aboard, they act as ‘embarked security,’ hardening the ship with razor wire and protecting it with high-caliber firepower. After the ship gets through pirate waters, the team returns to its arsenal ship and awaits the next client.” Email: nevqjr@yahoo.com.ph The post Mercenary attitude appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»